Operation Christmas Child – changing lives

CROWLEY – It’s a heartbreaking reality. To think that while most of us will be spending Christmas this year with our loved ones and enjoying a fabulous dinner and later opening presents from under our beautifully decorated Christmas tree, that there are families, mainly speaking of the children of course, that won’t have the same opportunity as our own children do.

Franklin Graham, President of the Samaritan’s Purse Associations, says, “Whether we’re talking about families that live in slum dwelled countries like Calcutta, India or orphans in Johannesburg, Africa. These children don’t ask for much, just to know that they are loved and wanted”.

There are millions of boys and girls around the world that are living in difficult circumstances and are in desperate need of hope. Thanks to “Operation Christmas Child”, there is a way that you can help to make a difference in these young peoples lives.

This “Samaritan’s Purse” project has shared the good news of God’s love with these hurting children through the simplest of gifts, shoe boxes to be exact. Yes, it’s true, a simple shoe box can make a world of difference, especially when it is an Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoe box! These shoe boxes are filled with school supplies, toys and personal items that are packed by caring people like yourself.

This project which is sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Association has been bringing the joy of Christmas to millions of boys and girls in over 100 countries for the last 15 years. They are inviting you as an individual, your church, school or group to be a part of this exciting children’s outreach.

Thousands of caring people across the United States fill shoe boxes to be given to children who have endured poverty, disease, and disaster. Many of these children have never celebrated Christmas or even know the reason for Christmas. This project helps to educated these boys and girls about religion by including gospel booklets with there filled shoe boxes, that are later used in bible study classes provided by local churches where possible.

In 2007 “Operation Christmas Child” collected a total of 4,601,305 filled shoe boxes from across the United States. There were 7,689,726 collected internationally.

On a local note, every year for the last 11 years, Acadia Parish and Jeff Davis Parish residents have been donating filled shoe boxes postmarked for the Operation Christmas Child project.

Karen Marx, who serves as the Operation Christmas Child Relay Center Coordinator for Acadia Parish and First Baptist of Evangeline, said in 2007 volunteers collected approximately 950 filled boxes. They would like to top that number this year, so her organization is challenging area schools, churches, civic clubs, businesses, families and individuals to make someone’s Christmas a whole lot happier this year. In 2007, Notre Dame High School brought in 19 shoe boxes, while Iota Junior High and High School 4-H paired with the Beta Club donated 40 boxes. Also in 2007, First Evangeline Baptist Church collected 150 shoe boxes for this cause.

If you would like to get involved with Operation Christmas Child all you need is an empty standard size shoe box (or plastic container with a lid), Christmas wrapping paper, and a few of the items mentioned below. First you must wrap the lid and bottom of the shoe box separately, then on a label that will be taped to the lid, determine if the gift is meant for a boy or girl and include the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Then fill the box with a variety of age and gender appropriate items such as toys, school supplies, hygiene items and/or hard candy.

In a separate envelope, donors may enclose a note to the child and a personal photo. You can also include a name and address so that the child who receives the gift has the opportunity to write back.

Once the box is filled, place a rubber band around it and deliver it to First Baptist Church of Evangeline, 1451 Old Evangeline Hwy. across from Evangeline Elementary School)

ACADIA PARISH schedule is as followed:

Monday, November 17, 2 to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, November 18, 2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, November 19, 1 to 4 p.m.

Thursday, November 20, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday, November 21, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 22, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday, November 23, 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information concerning “Operation Christmas Child” contact Karen Marx at 337-277-7453 or Ginny Richard at 337-370-1997.